First clinical trial for the Parkinson´s vaccine starts in Vienna

07-06-2012: AFFiRiS AG announced the start of the Phase I study of its Parkinson´s vaccine candidate PD01A. This vaccine represents the first agent worldwide aiming at disease modification of Parkinson´s rather than addressing symptomatic improvement only. PD01A targets a protein called alpha-Synuclein (alpha-syn) which plays a key role in the onset and progression of Parkinson´s. The vaccination aims to educate the immune system to generate antibodies directed against alpha-syn. The trial will be conducted at the Confraternität Privatklinik Josefstadt in Vienna and will involve up to 32 patients.

Dr. Walter Schmidt, CEO of AFFiRiS, comments on the progress of the Parkinson´s project: "Worldwide, for the first time immunotherapy is applied for the treatment of Parkinson´s. It is a so-called "First-in-Man" and "First-in-Kind" trial, because PD01A is the first medication worldwide aiming for clinical efficacy by modulating the metabolic pathway of alpha-syn. Even in its preliminary stages this new treatment concept was highly appreciated, as the renowned Michael J. Fox Foundation assented financial support to a total of USD 1.5 million. Hence, this is one of the few projects outside of the USA considered worthy of support by the foundation."